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Here we go with my little food fling, once again… Into the land of Paleo. I feel as if I must continue to claim my anti-absolutist stance when it comes to these foods and I’m really not sure why–I’m pretty sure it has something to do with my ego and my resistance to drinking anyone else’s Kool-aid!

These are just plain yummy, and a great source of energy to boot! I came up with the idea because I saw something similar on the Justin’swebsite, using peanut butter, sans the paleo crunch, and my mind started spinning. Here’s what I came up with:

Paleo Power Truffles

Ingredients:

2 Cups Almond Butter, crunchy or creamy (my intent was to use Justin’s but I wasn’t willing to spend the $11, compared to the $6.99 Whole Foods brand!)

1/3 Cup Grade A Maple Syrup

¼ Cup Coconut Flour

½ Teaspoon Sea Salt

2/3 Cup Paleo Crunch, chopped (plus a small amount to sprinkle on top).
(I chopped this kind of course in a small hand chopper)

Dip each almond butter ball into the chocolate and place back onto the parchment.

Sprinkle the remainder of paleo crunch on top.

Freeze the balls for about 20 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Enjoy! (yields about 24 balls)

Keep refrigerated

My kids were devouring these and I didn’t even have to feel bad. No refined sugar, no weird additives… just good, nutritious, whole food! (Okay, a little sugar in the chocolate, but not much and…. well, it is dark chocolate!)

We all have “emotional eating days, right? So at least if we plan for them… have some healthy treats on hand, knowing that the moments will come and they don’t have to destroy us, we’re proactively protecting against the inevitable brain hi-jacking, in the desperate search for comfort. Today, I had one of those days… and knew if I didn’t do something quick, I’d be rummaging through hidden Halloween baskets in search of something to stimulate a little dopamine release, and I’d be miserable in the morning.

So here I go, playing around in the world of Paleo once again… I sometimes cringe a bit, only because I don’t like the rigidity of most “styles” of eating–including the Paleo-Craze. I’m an “all in moderation” Mama, with a strong lean in toward organic, raw, and nourishing foods. I really do love some of the creations that fit into Paleo recipes, however. And after finding “Zest” Cookies in Whole Foods (for about $3 a piece!) and fearing complete addiction, I knew it was time to play around.

I made this recipe up a few weeks ago and tried it out on my colleagues at Noeticus Counseling Center, and these cookies didn’t even last the afternoon! So here’s a second attempt–and they’ve turned out so good I probably need to get them out of my house quickly!

Give them a try–I’d love to hear what you think!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ½ C. Almond Flour

½ C Shredded Organic Coconut. Lately I’ve been using closer to 3/4 cup, and I actually like them better! (Be sure and get the “finely shredded” coconut designed for baking.

½ Cup Coarsely Chopped Organic Walnuts

½ tsp Sea Salt

¼ tsp Baking Soda

½ Cup Coconut Oil (Just under)

¼ Cup Raw Honey

¼ Cup Maple Syrup

1 Egg

1 tsp Pure Madagascar Vanilla

8 oz. Organic Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.

Mix flour, coconut, walnuts, salt, and soda.

Melt coconut oil, honey and maple syrup together.

Add egg and vanilla and beat well.

Add the above to flour mixture and blend well.

Add chocolate chips and mix.

Roll into balls and place on parchment paper on flat baking sheet, about 3” apart.

Bake @ 350 degrees for about eight minutes. Flatten with a spatula and bake for two more minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool, serve & Enjoy!

Tips:

After you add the coconut oil/honey/syrup mixture, wait until it cools before adding the chocolate chips or you’ll have chocolate cookies!

I’ve found that flattening the cookies just a little prior to baking works better than flattening them with a spatula at the end–less mess!

Okay, so Peach Crisp hardly needs a “Paleo” version, right? I mean, it’s peaches, brown sugar, nuts, oats—okay, so the oats bother some people. And you can get “Gluten-free” oats, if it’s super important.

My reason for going Paleo on my peaches has more to do with wanting to add eggs, to which my son, Nathaniel, is allergic, as well as wanting to try out some almond flour in my recipe. And so I made two! One “safe” one and one that was a little “exploratory!”

You can find plenty of regular ‘ole peach crisp recipes out there, so I’ll share this one:

My foray into sweet treats using avocados began a couple of years ago, when we were in Maui and had the opportunity to go to a Luau in Wailea. That experience altered my entire perception of the expansive uses of this magical fruit! Now, I’ll admit, senses are a little more “alive” for me when I’m hanging out on a beach… it’s as if the sun, sand, and waves wake not only my skin, my toes, and my breathing but also my taste buds! The whole sensory experience can be hard to duplicate but I’m giving it my best shot.

Eating out can be a challenge in our family, as my son, Nathaniel, has multiple life-threatening food allergies. Balancing the unwanted attention he can receive in the vein of, “Oh, that must be so hard for you!” (not a fun message for a kiddo) with both cultural and culinary opportunities always calls for some mindfulness. So we take caution in putting ourselves in situations where there’s a good chance he could feel left out.

This Maui Luau, however, opened my mind to some new possibilities. When it came time for dessert, I was pretty certain none of the items offered would be safe, so made a quiet request to our waiter as to the availability of an alternative that would be free of dairy, egg, coconut, peanut, hazelnut, and sesame seeds. I was surprised to see the chef making his way to our table just minutes after, holding what looked to be the most decadent dessert I’d seen all night. He held a deep, rich chocolatey mouse in his hands, and I was certain he was mistaken–that couldn’t be safe, could it?

The hyper-vigilant Mama that I am, I asked him to go over the exact ingredients. And as surprising as it was, everything was on the “safe” list. What was even more surprising, however, was the inclusion of Avocado! Never had I imagined using avocado in anything sweet, but the consistency and flavor are a perfect foundation for many many treats, and provide an ultra healthy option! And the taste…? I can still feel the smooth, rich texture on my tongue, and taste the rich, chocolatey wonder. Needless to say, Nathaniel was thrilled and the rest of us a bit jealous. When I returned home, I began exploring just how versatile Avocado is when it comes to sweets. And I’m still playing!

The following is something I threw together last night. My kids invited a friend up for a sleepover, and I realized I had nothing to serve for dessert–and I’m kind of a dessert Mom. However, I don’t like desserts filled with junk–it just doesn’t set anyone up for success in any way. So I opted for creativity. Here’s the recipe I came up with and, thankfully, the kids LOVED it! I’ll be tweaking it for a bit, but wanted to share the process and invite you all to play along.

Directions

Blend avocado, sugar, maple syrup, and cocoa together with a hand blender until smooth. Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil together (either in a microwave or double broiler) and add to the above mixture. Then add remaining ingredients and continue blending until smooth. Place in an 8×8″ glass baking dish that has been sprayed/wiped with coconut or canola oil. Bake @ 350 for about 22 minutes. These brownies are definitely on the gooey side, and, served warm, pair wonderfully with a bit of Almond or Rice Dream (our favorite substitutes for ice cream).

I’ve been having major chocolate cravings as of late… I think this is indicative of something else lacking in my life! Regardless, chocolate and I have a bit of a love affair going on, so I’ve been indulging in creative explorations–just like in any good love affair. And this one was so good, I couldn’t even get a picture taken before it was half-eaten!

This was my first attempt at a Paleo-friendly pancake and they really did turn out perfect, in my book! They might not be perfect “looking,” and it did take a little practice to get the flipping down right but, after a few trial runs, it got a little easier.

I’ve been skipping out on Sunday morning waffles and pancakes because I just don’t like the way my gut feels when I indulge in the load of carbs–especially wheat. So now I am feeling more involved in the Sunday morning ritual!

In a medium bowl, sift together the almond flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients well.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until well blended.

Heat a frying pan to medium heat with a bit of coconut oil (spray works well).

If pancakes stick to your pan, make them smaller. Flip when they begin to bubble a little and the edges start to crisp up just slightly. Give yourself some time to get the flipping down right…. These are a little more difficult than regular wheat flour pancakes!